Cover Story: R. Kikuo Johnson’s “Commencement”

“My first job after graduation was as a waiter in a Times Square steak house. It lasted eight years,” R. Kikuo Johnson said, of his cover for this week’s issue, “Commencement.” “Around this time of year, I’d see lots of caps and gowns coming into the restaurant with their proud parents. Those were definitely moments of reflection.” Johnson graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design, in 2003. He now supports himself as an artist and lives in Brooklyn. After an initial move to Williamsburg, he’s on his second combination studio/living space in Bed-Stuy: “My rent is good right now and I’m not worried—the landlord likes me," he said with a smile. He also commutes to Providence, Rhode Island, to teach at his alma mater: “It’s not just me—I’d say most of the other teachers at RISD are also alumni. That’s what made me think of this image.”

Here is a slide show of past New Yorker covers from graduation season: